Calendar History In Islam

The islamic calendar arabic.

Calendar history in islam. On dec 16 2020. Each month lasts for a full lunation which is the time span from one new moon to the next. The first year of the islamic calendar began in 622 ce when the prophet muhammad and his followers migrated from mecca to medina.

The islamic calendar consists of 12 months similar to the gregorian calendar. The islamic calendar begins with one of the most iconic events in islamic history. This resulted in an observationally based lunar calendar shifting relative to the seasons of the solar year.

The event of the hijrah the migration of the prophet muhammad saw from makkah to madinah in 622 ce was chosen to begin the islamic calendar because it was the first major sacrifice made by the whole ummah for the preservation of islam in its formative period. The twelve months are alternately 29 and 30 days long the lunar cycle is approximately 29 5 days giving a year of 354 days. The islamic calendar is of great significance in the muslim world and is considerably different from the christian calendars used throughout the western world.

The islamic calendar is based on the prohibition of intercalation by muhammad in islamic tradition dated to a sermon held on 9 dhu al hijjah ah 10 julian date. Prophet muhammad s pbuh hijra the day he emigrated from makkah to madina to set up his new social order. The islamic calendar was started by the second caliph umar in 16 ah 637 ce 2.

However it consists of 354 355 days unlike the 365 366 days in the regular calendar. The timing of the months in the islamic calendar is based on astronomical observation. This moon cycle encompasses all the phases of the moon.

The muslim calendar is the only one in widespread use to be based uncompromisingly on lunar months with no adjustments to bring the years into balance with the solar cycle. It is used to determine the proper days of islamic holidays and rituals such as the annual period of fasting and the proper time for the hajj. The islamic calendar is a lunar calendar whose time reckoning is tied to the moon phases.